Author Archives: Stewart Wolpin

About Stewart Wolpin

I have been writing about consumer electronics for four decades, including news, reviews, analysis and history for a wide variety of consumer, niche and trade outlets. For the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), I annually update the industry's history and write the official biographies of the CTA Hall of Fame inductees. Aside from writing about consumer technology for a variety of consumer, tech and trade publications, I write a blog and do market research for Digital Technology Consulting. In the non-tech world, I have written "Bums No More: The Championship Season of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers" and "The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle." Check out my work at www.stewartwolpin.com.

CTA: Expect Robust Q4, $500b In U.S. Tech Sales in 2022

Posted on 16 November 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

Despite chip shortages, supply chain problems, and staffing issues, demand and sales for consumer tech – especially WFH and home entertainment devices – has and will remain high through the holiday season and next year. Read this report here at … Continue reading →

Posted in ear/headphones, home office, smart home, TV/4K/UHD/8K, TWICE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CTA Inducts 2020, 2021 Hall Of Fame Classes

Posted on 15 November 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

After missing a year because of the pandemic, CTA inducted its 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame classes at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York, along with its last two sets of Innovation Award winners. Read the rest of this report – … Continue reading →

Posted in Tech History, TWICE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SmartTechCheck Podcast Facebook’s rebranding as Meta, old school OTT and compiler security

Posted on 3 November 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

My November 3, 2021, appearance on the SmartTechCheck podcast with host Mark Vena and fellow tech reporter John Quain. Watch the video of the podcast here, or listen to the audio here.

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SmartTechCheck Podcast: Social media algorithms, Matter and Samsung, FCC nominations

Posted on 27 October 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

My October 27, 2021, appearance on the SmartTechCheck podcast with host Mark Vena and fellow tech reporters John Quain and Rob Pegoraro. This week we discuss social media regulation, the Matter smart home standard, and adding the last FCC commissioners. … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple, smart home, SmartTechCheck Podcast | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review of the Eargo 5

Posted on 21 October 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

Over the years, I’ve tested a variety of over-the-counter hearing assistive devices, some actual FDA-approved hearing aids, others so-called personal sound amplification products (PSAP). Until recently, I believed the best relatively low-cost non-prescription over-the-counter hearing aid available was Eargo’s Neo HiFi, which … Continue reading →

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SmartTechCheck Podcast: Windows 11 launch, proprietary chip designs, tech supply chain problems

Posted on 13 October 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

My October 13, 2021, appearance on the SmartTechCheck podcast with host Mark Vena and fellow tech reporters John Quain and Rob Pegoraro. This week we discussed the release of Windows 11, smartphone vendors moving to their own proprietary chips/SoC designs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, SmartTechCheck Podcast | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SmartTechCheck Facebook, Apple/Dell deal, Theranos, Amazon Astro

Posted on 7 October 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

My October 7, 2021, appearance on the SmartTechCheck podcast with host Mark Vena and fellow tech reporters John Quain and Rob Pegoraro. This week we discuss the Facebook whistleblower hearings, the Theranos trial, Amazon’s Astro home robot, and the “what … Continue reading →

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The Best New iOS 15 Features

Posted on 24 September 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

Under normal circumstances, I’d advise waiting before downloading Apple’s latest operating system until after its first update – there’s always something that goes a little bit haywire in the first release that needs patching. But there haven’t been any reports … Continue reading →

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10 Reasons to Upgrade to iPhone 13 (and 5 Reasons Not to Bother)

Posted on 19 September 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

Once more, iPhone owners face their annual dilemma: to upgrade or not to upgrade to one of this year’s four new iPhone 13 models – the Pro Max (starting at $1,099), the Pro ($999), the plain iPhone 13 ($799), or the Mini … Continue reading →

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Your 2025 Smartphone

Posted on 19 August 2021 by Stewart Wolpin

With apologies to Zager and Evans (look ’em up), in 2025, I will surely be supremely embarrassed. Someone—maybe even me—will dig up this column, read my fearless predictions of what smartphones will look like and how they will function in that year, … Continue reading →

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